1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to foldable display stands in general, and more particularly to an erectable display stand having its own built-in transportation equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are already known various constructions of display stands, shopping carts, hand trucks and trolleys, among them such that are equipped or assemblable with their own transportation equipment, usually wheels, that are intended to be used for transporting the stand, together with its contents, over relatively short distances, such as from one store location to another. The provision of such built-in transportation equipment dispenses with the otherwise existing need for either unloading the stand before moving it, or having to use a separate multipurpose hand truck, dolly or similar equipment, which may or may not be readily available, for transporting the stand in its loaded condition. Examples of display stands of this kind and/or similar devices can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,292,942 to Mitty et al; 3,856,320 to Blanchard; 4,632,412 to Nasgowitz; and 5,125,675 to Engelbrecht.
It has been established that devices of this type, as advantageous as they may be in some respects, possess certain disadvantages as well. An important drawback encountered in such wheeled devices is that the devices themselves are often made of rigid, three-dimensional construction for strength purposes. Such devices are bulky and expensive to fabricate.
Other devices are erectable from a collapsed to an erect condition. Such erectable devices are disadvantageous in that laterally arranged wheels are used for the transportation equipment. For one, the wheels are evidently not intended to be removed while the device is standing still at a particular location, no matter how long it remains there. This brings about the danger that, since display stands are usually situated at high-traffic areas (to maximize exposure) where store patrons possibly pushing carts have to maneuver with care to avoid collision with other people or objects, the projecting wheels of the display stand may not be noticed, resulting in inconvenience at best or even in injury to the store patron.
On the other hand, the presence of the wheels detracts from compactness of the display stand in its collapsed condition if the stand is collapsible to begin with, inasmuch as the diameter of the wheels in all instances substantially exceeds the thickness to which the collapsible stand could be otherwise collapsed. This complicates the handling of the device even as it is being shipped to its intended destination prior to its actual use.